Necktie knot former or simulator



Jan. 3, 1939.

F. J. MARTIN NEGKTIE KNOT FORIVIER OR SIMULATOR Filed Aug. 10, 1958INVENTOR. .d/l/fqwrmf BY. I 7 I ORNEY Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 10,

4 Claims.

The invention relates to devices attachable to neckties and to be wornwith the tie, to simulate a symmetrical knot, or to afford a form bywhich the tie may be shaped, to the end that a neat and uniformappearance of the tie as worn may be secured, and the attrition,soiling, and wrinkling of the goods of the tie minimized, and additionaladvantages gained.

It is an object of the invention to present such an article which may bemanufactured readily at moderate cost, and which may be used by tiewearers with a minimum of difiiculty.

It is also an aim to present such an article applicable to ties in suchmanner as to protect the ties from soiling, and also constructed so thatthe tie loop around the neck of the wearer may be secured so that it cannot become casually loosened.

Another object is to present a special novel tie clamping device to holdthe tie in form and retain my device in place thereon.

Another object is to present such a device which may be used as a tieform around and upon which the actual knot may be formed, or which maybe itself exposed as a simulated knot of good appearance with the endsof the tie extended therefrom as appendages.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention reside in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts involved in theembodiment of the invention, as will appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the article detached.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the article.

Figure 3 is a front view of the article in place upon a tie.

Figure 4 is a top view of the article.

Figure 5 is a cross section on the line 55 of Figure 1.

There is illustrated a tie former consisting of a body of material whichmay be one of the plastics such as a synthetic resin molded to form aninterior body In, and an enclosing shell H, spaced therefrom for itsmajor parts but joined integrally or otherwise therewith at I 2 in theupper front portion. The shell is generally of the same shape and sizeas the knot of the fourin-hand tie, and corresponds closely to theactual form of the front portion of the actual tie knot which passesacross the front of the knot and on the sides of the knot. This shellforms two wing portions l3 which constitute the curved sides of thedevice, but stop short of each other 1938, Serial No. 224,193

a distance to form a wide slot therebetween extending longitudinallythroughout the length of the article at the back.

The body I0 is of generally similar contour, spaced within the shell sothat two curved chan- 5 nels or tie slots 15 are formed between theshell and body at respective sides at the upper part, separated at thefront by a joining portion 46 connecting the body and shell at the upperpart only, this portion l6 extending downwardly from the top of thearticle only about three-eighths of an inch or more and having a widthof about one-quarter of an inch or more. The shell is thus somewhatbarrel-shaped, but is curved inward toward its lower part, andlongitudinally, and being ovate in cross section.

The rear side of the body l0 may be flattened, and its length isconsiderably less than that of the shell, its front face portion beingcurved generally to correspond to the shell, but divergent from theshell toward its lower part. The upper end of both body and shell isgenerally planiform, although this may be varied as desired.

The tie slots l5 are of a dimension between body and wing to readilyaccommodate slidably 5 respective end portions of a tie adjusted fiattherein, and the walls of the shell are just thick enough to afford thenecessary strength to hold their form and retain the tie parts ashereinafter more particularly described. 30

In the flattened under or rear side of the body If) there is formed alongitudinal slot or recess or channel IT, in which there is fixed ametal channel piece I 8 having parallel walls IS with longitudinalflanges 20 at the inner sides flush with the face of the body. A passage2i opens from the front face of the body just below the connectingportion l2, this being enlarged as at 22 next the channel piece l8 whichis apertured in alinement with this enlargement. In the enlarged passagethere is set a helical protractile spring 23 confined against theshoulder 24 at the inner end of the enlargement 22, by a plunger 25 inthe enlargement, having a rounded outer end, and provided with a stem 25extended slidably through the smaller inner part of the passage andprovided with a cross head portion 26 including arms curved inconformity with the opposed inner surface of the shell and workingacross the tie slots I5. The body may be recessed in alinement withthese arms so as to receive them flush with the surface of the body l0next the slots l5, as at 21, wherein they will nor mally be held clearof the slots by the spring 23 when the device is not in engaged positionon the wearer.

Longitudinally slidable in the channel piece l8 and retained by theflanges 20 there is a wedge block or slide button 28, having an inclinedinner face 29 at one end and adapted to engage and press the plungeroutward as the wedge is moved toward one limit of its movement in thechannel l8. This inner face is indented at 30 so as to fit and hold therounded outer end of the plunger when the latter is depressed to apredetermined depth corresponding to a clamping position of the crosshead 26, but yieldable to manual force to reverse the movement of thewedge28, and so release the plunger and cross head.

The slide is formed with a serrated convex knob surface 3| adapting itto ready operation in either direction by the thumb of the user whilethe device is in place on a tie secured or in course of adjustment onthe wearer.

The edges of the wings I3 at the slot l4 may be slightly ribbed orbeaded, as at 32, and a raised face or land 33 may be formed on the rearside of the body Ill under the slot M, the sides of which begin justwithin the slot l4 and inwardly of the edges 32. The sides of the raisedland 33 may be concavely rounded to conform to the form of the beads 32.This serves to hold an engaged tie more securely against disengagementfrom the slots l5 incident to longitudinal adjustment of the device onthe tie, as will appear.

In use, one end portion of the narrow or neckencircling part 34 of thetie is engaged edgewise under the wing [3 at one side of the device,with the outer face of the tie next to the wing, until this transverseportion of the tie is engaged entirely under the wing [3. An oppositeportion of the neck encircling portion is then likewise engaged underthe opposite wing and the broad end 35 of the tie adjusted over theother end 26 next to the shell. A loop 31 is thus formed, and this maybe done while the tie is laid around the neck of the wearer, or beforesuch placement, and. in the latter case the loop so formed is enlargedby sliding the device as required on the two ends of the tie, to permitit to be passed over the head of the user and adjusted under the collarof the wearer. In either case the two ends are held by one hand whilewith the other the device is moved bodily and slidingly longitudinallyon the tie ends toward the collar until the loop 31 has been properlytightened around the neck of the wearer. Then, while the shell isgrasped and held in position with one hand and the tie ends are drawndownwardly by the other hand, the thumb of the first hand is presseddownwardly against the knob 3i, forcing the plunger outward and pressingthe cross-head and clamp arms against the two parts of the tie, andclamping them against the adjacent part of the shell. This looks thedevice on the tie, and locks the tie in adjusted position on the neck ofthe wearer.

By forming the shell I I of suitably ornamental material, an ornamentaldevice is now presented, which without further tying or othermanipulation of forming of the tie proper, will give the wearer a welldressed appearance. If desired, the end 35 or face portion of the tiemay be formed or tied around the shell after the engagement andfastening described. For this purpose, assuming that the tie and myinvention are in place as last described, with the broad end of the tieextending from the right hand side of the wearer toward the left, thisend portion of the tie is next turned inward close against the left handside of the body l0, and extended between the body IO and the person ofthe wearer toward the right shoulder of the wearer with the face of thetie next the wearer. It is then swung horizontally across the shelltoward the left, bringing the broad end of the tie over the right handwing 13 and across the front of the shell. While held loosely, at theshell the end of the broad end of the tie is then inserted upwardlyunder the body 10 and shell so that it comes outwardly over the top ofthe device, and is then inserted downwardly between the shell and thecrossed over portion lying across the front of the shell, and drawnsnug. The tie will then appear as the conventional four-in-hand, allexposed parts consisting of the fabric of the tie itself, and with afull and symmetrical form and neat appearance.

While I have specifically described the elements of the device it willbe understood that many modifications of construction and use may bemade within the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of the invention, and I do not regard the invention as limited tothe exact form of the article presented, except as may be otherwiseclaimed hereinafter.

I claim:-

1. An article of the character described consisting of an inner' bodymember of a form approximating that of the knot of a tie, and a shellportion fixed in spaced relation thereto and of similar external form,the shell being open at the under side of the device, forming atiereceiving slot, and releasable manual means to secure the ends of atie between the shell and body.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which the article includes a connectingportion between the shell and body member at the upper end portion ofthe article.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said means to secure the tieconsists of a clamping means movable across the space between the bodyand the shell at the front of the device, resilient means connectedtherewith tending to hold the clamping means retracted, and manuallyoperable and releasable means to secure the clamping means in engagedposition.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which the means to secure the ends of atie consist of a clamp member movable from the rear toward the frontacross the space between the body and shell,- resilient means to holdthe clamp member retracted, a longitudinally slidable wedge fastenerconnected with the clamp and exposed at the back of the device formanual operation.

FRANCIS J. MARTIN.

